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CRC Press eBooks

Physics of Quantum Interference Effects in DC-Field Coupled Systems

Published Jul 6, 2000• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental work of the past few years has demonstrated that the \noptical response of multi-state atomic systems can be controlled efficiently using \nquantum coherence and interference effects. These effects include: lasers operating \nwithout population inversion, novel techniques for resonantly enhanced nonlinear \noptics, enhancement and manipulation of the refractive index, and modification of \nspontaneous emission. In the present paper, we discuss manifestations of these \neffects of quantum interference in one of the simplest multilevel atomic system, in \nwhich two upper levels are coupled a static field. In this way we probe the extent \nto which optical of such systems can be "engineered" using atomic \ncoherence. The present treatment provides useful insights into the physics of this \nphenomenon.

DOI
10.1201/b17009-8

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Theoretical and experimental work of the past few years has demonstrated that the \noptical response of multi-state atomic systems can be controlled efficiently using \nquantum coherence and interference effects. These effects include: lasers operating \nwithout population inversion, novel techniques for resonantly enhanced nonlinear \noptics, enhancement and manipulation of the refractive index, and modification of \nspontaneous emission. In the present paper, we discuss manifestations of these \neffects of quantum interference in one of the simplest multilevel atomic system, in \nwhich two upper levels are coupled a static field. In this way we probe the extent \nto which optical of such systems can be "engineered" using atomic \ncoherence. The present treatment provides useful insights into the physics of this \nphenomenon.
Atomic coherence and interference manifested by electromagentically induced transparency (EIT) and coherent population trapping (CPT) plays an important role in the current studies of atom-photon interactions and has found numerous applications in optical physics. EIT is created in a three-level atomic system by a coupling field and results in destructive interference between two excitation paths of a weak probe laser interacting with the atomic medium. This leads to suppressed linear absorption and rapidly varying atomic dispersion for the probe laser near the atomic resonance, which provides the platform for a variety of applications such as nonlinear optics at low light levels, slow light manipulation, and quantum state engineering for photons and atoms. Here we extend the simple three-level EIT system to more complicated and versatile configurations in a multi-level atomic system coupled by multiple laser fields. We show that with multiple excitation paths provided by different laser fields, phase-dependent quantum interference is induced: either constructive or destructive interference can be realized by varying the relative phases among the laser fields. Two specific examples are discussed. One is a three-level system coupled by bichromatic coupling and probe fields, in which the phase dependent interference between the resonant two-photon Raman transitions can be initiated and controlled. Another is a four-level system coupled by two coupling fields and two probe fields, in which a double-EIT configuration is created by the phase-dependent interference between three-photon and one-photon excitation processes. We analyze the coherently coupled multi-level atomic system and discuss the control parameters for the onset of constructive or destructive quantum interference. We describe two experiments performed with cold Rb atoms that can be approximately treated as the coherently coupled three-level and four-level atomic systems respectively. The experimental results show the phase-dependent quantum coherence and interference in the multi-level Rb atomic system, and agree with the theoretical calculations based on the coherently coupled three-level or four-level model system.
It is well known that the optical properties of multi-level atomic and molecular system can be controlled and manipulated efficiently using quantum coherence and interference, which has led to many new effects in quantum optics for e.g. lasing action without population inversion, ultraslow light, high resolution nonlinear spectroscopy etc. Recent experimental and theoretical studies have also provided support for the hypothesis that biological systems uses quantum coherence. Nearly perfect excitation energy transfer in photosynthesis is an excellent example of this.\n\nIn this dissertation we studied quantum coherence and interference effects in the transient and the continuous-wave regimes. This study led to (i) the first experimental demonstration of carrier-envelope phase effects on bound-bound atomic excitation in multi-cycle regime (~15 cycles), (ii) a unique possibility for standoff detection of trace gases using their rotational and vibrational spectroscopic signals and from herein called Coherent Raman Umklappscattering, (iii) several possibilities for frequency up-conversion and generation of short-wavelength radiation using quantum coherence (iv) the measurement of spontaneous emission noise intensity in Yoked-superfluorescence scheme.\n\nApplications of the obtained results are development of XUV (X-Ray) lasers, con- trolled superfluorescent (superradiant) emission, carrier-envelope phase effects, coherent Raman scattering in the backward direction, enhancement of efficiency for generating radiation in XUV and X-Ray regime using quantum coherence with and without population inversion and to extend XUV and X-Ray lasing to ~4.023 nm in Helium-like carbon.
The control of the optical properties of a medium by atomic coherence and quantum interference effects is an important area of research, not only for its fundamental aspects in the understanding of radiation and matter interaction, but also for its potential applications in the design of optical devices. Atomic coherence can emerge in a medium through the coupling of a strong coherent field to an atomic transition. This coupling affects the optical properties of the medium in a very interesting ways. For example, it may yield light amplification without population inversion. Also, it can modify the traditional dispersion of an optical medium in such a way that maximum variations of the refractive index occur around a spectral region of vanishing absorption. In the first part of this work we investigate some fundamental aspects of this coherent dynamics. We investigate how this non-inversion gain is affected by the presence of atomic motion. The coherent interaction between atom and radiation can lead to the interference between optical paths of decay. We report on an atomic setting where the interference structures depend upon the phase of the coherent field, an new effect which is absent in other resonance fluorescent phenomena. As a potential application, we investigate a novel approach for the modulation of optical signal. This approach consists of injecting atomic coherence in the medium in order to tailor its optical properties so it is a more suitable medium for modulation.
A large number of novel semiclassical and quantum optical effects and phenomena (e.g., coherent population trapping, electromagnetically induced transparency, spontaneous emission inhibition and lasing without population inversion) caused by atomic multi-level phase coherence can be found in three- and four-level atomic vapor media. Such phase coherence includes destructive and constructive quantum interference among various pathways of transition in the atomic systems. Since a simple RLC electric circuit can be used to simulate some resonant responses of a two-level atomic system (or two-state resonant systems), we will consider an analog of interference effect (phase coherence) in an electric circuit containing three RLC meshes for mimicking three- and four-level atomic systems. If certain magnitudes of capacitance and inductance parameters are chosen (or the capacitance and inductance are tuned), the destructive and constructive interference among currents in the circuit can be switched to each other. Thus, the analog of nearly all the quantum coherent effects relevant to a multi-level atomic system that interacts with optical fields can in principle be realized in the present multi-mesh RLC circuit.
Recently, there has been increasing interest on the idea of controlling optical responses using atomic-coherence or quantum-interferences. Typical example may be the concept of electomagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) [1]. The key idea of EIT is to apply a strong-coupling field between a metastable and upper states to dress them equivalently as two states decaying to a common level or continuum, and to induce the transparency at the split-center of Autler-Townes components. This idea of EIT may open new possibilities to various coherent processes, such as lasing without population inversion, enhanced refractive index without absorption], slow group velocity without absorption, enhanced nonlinearity without absorption, etc.
Summary form only given. Intensive theoretical work, carried out in the past decade, has indicated that optical properties of matter can be dramatically affected by atomic coherence and interference effects. In particular, atomic coherence and interference was shown to lead to such intriguing phenomena as electromagnetically induced transparency, lasing without population inversion (LWI), and resonant enhancement of refractive index accompanied by vanishing absorption. In the present paper we report the first experimental observation of LWI oscillation and the first demonstration of index enhancement.